1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pedestal for supporting an equipment such as an office equipment.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional pedestal for supporting an image forming apparatus (e.g., a copy machine or a facsimile apparatus) or a cabinet is used to place the above equipment or cabinet at an appropriate height for a user. The pedestal can be used in a stable state wherein it withstands the weight of an object placed thereon. The pedestal has casters at its bottom portions and can be moved on the installation surface.
However, sufficient consideration is not taken for installation locations and installation circumstances for such a pedestal. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, when a user on a wheelchair 61 is to change the direction of the wheelchair 61, an area of about 140 cm .times.170 cm is required. When a copy machine 62 is placed on the above pedestal in an office, it is rather difficult to secure a passage having a width of 140 cm in front of the copy machine 62 in consideration of the present office situation suffering from a lack of space.
As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, when a wheelchair user 63 uses a copy machine 62 installed in a narrow passage, and the wheelchair 63 is moved toward the front of the copy machine 62, footrest portions 64 of the wheelchair 61 abut against the front surface of the pedestal. For this reason, the wheelchair user must operate the copy machine 62 while the side of the body of the user faces the front surface of the copy machine 62. In addition, the direction of the wheelchair cannot be changed during use of the copy machine, resulting in poor operability. As shown in FIG. 22, when a wheelchair user 63 faces the front surface of a copy machine 62, a space is formed between the copy machine 62 and the wheelchair user due to the presence of footrest portions 64, thus making it difficult to operate the copy machine 62.
Conventional copy machines are designed to have a height of about 90 cm to 100 cm, i.e., a height for facilitating to place an original on a platen glass arranged at the upper surface of a copy machine or to operate operation keys for a person, having a height of 150 cm or more, who stands in front of the copy machine. This height is ideal when the copy machine is installed on an office floor.
When the copy machine installed on the office floor is used by a wheelchair user or when the copy machine is used by a user who sits on a chair due to a large number of copies, the operation surface is too high to operate, making it difficult to operate the copy machine.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 23, operations such as an operation for placing an original, and operations for setting a copy count and a copy density and for depressing a start key on the operation panel are difficult because the operation surface is too high. Jam processing and an operation for replenishing a paper cassette with paper sheets are difficult to perform because the door on the front surface of the copy machine and the paper cassette are located at lower positions which are not easily accessible to a wheelchair user.